Effect of Nutrient Management and Plant Hormones on Growth and Yield of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in Western UP

Abstract

An investigation entitled “Effect of Nutrient management and Plant hormones on growth and yield of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in western UP” was carried out at the crop research centre (main campus) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, (UP) during Rabi season 2021-22. To accomplish the above objectives, the experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design with three replications and 12 treatments made from the combination of four levels of nutrient management i.e. RDF (100:60:40:20 kg ha-1 NPKS), RDF + ZnSO4 (25 kg ha-1), RDF + Borax (0.2%), RDF + ZnSO4 (25 kg ha-1) + Borax (0.2%) and three levels of Plant Hormones i.e. Control (water spray), Gibberellic acid (40 ppm) and Salicylic acid (50 ppm). The mustard variety Pusa vijay (NPJ-93) was used for this experiment. The crop was sown on 2nd October, 2021 and harvested on 21 February, 2022. All the recommended crop management practices were followed during the crop period. The amount of rainfall received during the season of experiment was 280.6 mm. The mean weakly maximum temperature ranges from 33.6 to 16.20C. The mean weakly minimum temperature ranges from 25.2 to 4.70C. The higher values of growth, yield attributes and yield of crop were obtained with recommended dose of fertilizer i.e. 100, 60, 40 and 20 kg ha-1 nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and sulphur, respectively along with the application of 25 kg ha-1 Zinc sulphate and 0.2% foliar application of Borax at 60 DAS and 75 DAS. Moreover, among the Plant Hormones 40 ppm gibberellic acid at flowering and 15 days thereafter was found most promising with respect to growth parameters, yield attributes and yield of mustard crop. The highest net profit was realized with application of recommended dose of fertilizer along with Zinc sulphate and Borax in musatrd crop. In addition, 40 ppm gibbereliic acid has given maximum net return. Thus it may be concluded that the application of RDF + ZnSO4 (25 kg ha-1) + Borax (0.2%) and 40 ppm gibbereliic acid is recommended for achieving higher yield and net return from mustard crop in western UP condition